Program

Professor Helen Rees is the Executive Director of the Reproductive Health and HIV Research Unit (RHRU), the largest research unit of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where she is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Prof Rees received her Medical Degree and her Masters in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University and in 2002 became an alumni of Harvard Business School. Helen Rees is recognized as one of South African’s leading women doctors and HIV researchers who has made a major contribution to the health and rights of South African and African women and those who are HIV infected, both during and after apartheid.
 
With her background as a senior scientist and medical doctor, Helen Rees has been appointed to numerous national and international statutory councils and committees. In the field of HIV, she was a contributing author the 2007 National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and STIs. She is the co-chair of National Programme Implementation Committee of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), as well as being the Chair of SANAC’s HIV Research Prevention Committee. She completed a four year term in office as the Chairperson of the Medicines Control Council (MCC) and has served as a member of the Ministerial National Health Research Ethics Committee. She recently served on a committee of eminent scientists mandated by the South African Cabinet to evaluate South Africa’s Science Councils.
 
Because of her global experience in HIV, sexual and reproductive health and in vaccines, Prof Rees has been appointed to numerous international committees and scientific bodies. Currently she serves on the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization which advises the Director General of WHO on all matters relating to global immunization policy and guidelines. She is a member of the Board of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Chairperson of the IAVI International Clinical Trials Committee. She is on the international Scientific Advisory committees for the US National Institute of Health’s global networks for HIV Vaccine development and for Microbicide development. She is a member of the WHO/UNAIDS VAC committee on HIV vaccines, and of the WHO Expert Committee on HPV Vaccines. She has chaired WHO Advisory Committees on Clinical trials and regulation of HIV vaccines, and on HPV vaccines in developing countries. She regularly serves as an adviser to the World Health Organization and to UNAIDS and has chaired many WHO consultative meetings in the following fields: HIV vaccines, HPV vaccines, Contraception and HIV, female condoms, microbicides, and STIs/HIV and is often consulted for her expertise in drug regulation. She is a member of the International Working Group for HIV Prevention, a joint initiative between UNAIDS, WHO and the Gates Foundation.  She has been involved with the organizing of many conferences including the annual International Workshops on HIV Transmission, Pathogenesis and Prevention Research in resource poor settings (INTEREST), the African Priorities Conference in Reproductive health and HIV, as well as co-chairing or serving on the International Microbicides conference biannually between 2000 and 2008, the International AIDS Vaccine Conference in 2006 and 2008, and is the co-chair of the Prevention track of the International AIDS Society Conference for 2009.
 
Helen Rees has received many awards and acknowledgements for her work. She was made an Officer of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001 for her work in the international health sector. In 2003, she was awarded a Life Time Achievement award by Amanitare, a pan African partnership of women’s Non-governmental organisations working in the field of Women’s health and rights. In 2004 she became the first woman to be awarded the South African Distinguished Scientist award for her outstanding contribution to improving the quality of life of women. In 2006 she was one of only a few women to be appointed to the South African Academy of Sciences.